More User Reviews:

Off the Cuff is a nice play on some of the recent chili porter and stout type beers. The beer pours an opaque black with tan head that is not leaving much of a lace. The scent carries milk chocolate. The taste is a interesting combo of chocolate and chili type spice with hints of roast and peat. The mouthfeel is fuller in body with smooth carbonation. Overall this is a nice beer and glad to have the chance to part take.

What stuck out to me was the spicy notes and the coffee flavor. I really did not taste much cocoa flavor, even though Two Bros. calls it a "spicy cocoa" beer. It definitely had the spicy notes though. Overall it wasn't much to my liking, as I was hoping for more of a cocoa taste (I LOVE Southern Tier's Choklat). But it isn't bad and I recommend people try it, since there aren't many beers out there that have the spicy characteristics, so you may enjoy it.

22 oz. bottle, with no apparent bottled on date present. Copyright 2013 printed on the label. Grabbed one of the last remaining bottles of this from the local beer store. I'm expecting it to have mellowed a bit during it's time in the bottle.

Poured into a clear balloon snifter.

A - Pours a dark chocolate brown with three big fingers of fluffy creamy mocha head. Some nice spotty lacing left on the glass. Well carbonated, I'd say, even after a year in the bottle. Looks very nice.

S - The smell is kind of subdued, but nice - mild dark coffee / barley roast, cream, lactose, milk chocolate, & maybe just the slightest bit of vegetal chiles, but there is no noticeable heat present on the nose.

T - Taste follows the nose - chocolate, cocoa, coffee, barley roast, mild lactose / creaminess, but again no real noticeable chiles, heat, or spice is noticeable for me. I'm guessing the time spent in the bottle has just mellowed the spice, and I'm not disappointed. Very mild warmth is noticeable in there on end, but the cocoa is dominant.

Overall, a lovely stout from Two Brothers, even if it isn't the first thing I'd think of when I hear the words "spicy cocoa stout". Still going strong even a year later, but I don't recommended holding down bottles of this much longer.

4.0 T: The taste takes the nose and amplifies the intensity. Clean caramel and neutral malt sweetness. Moderate roast, chocolate, cocoa powder, and just enough heat from the peppers to make you know they are there. Not a lot of complexity or depth, but what is there flows really nicely together.

Poured into my trusty pint glass. Poured color of cocoa. Thick 2 1/2 finger head. The taste of cocoa and a hint of a pepper taste with it as well. The pepper was a great addition to this stout. Could have had a more peppery taste if it truly wanted to. Overall very satisfied with this beer. The beer went down smooth and overall a great stout to enjoy during the day.

Described as a spicy cocoa stout. Right on. It pours an excessively dark black-brown topped by a finger of tan foam. The nose comprises sweet cocoa (really goddamn sweet, we're talking perfume-y, for gods' sakes), light roasted malts, a hint of coffee, and a pinch of brown sugar. The taste brings in more of the same, with a very mild hint of some sort of meek pepper peeking in from the deep background. The body is a straight medium (in the process of bulking up for next week's big meet), with a light moderate carbonation and a nigh-chewy feel. Overall, a solid chocolate-ful stout, though "spicy" is almost completely absent. A bit of a disappointment for those, like me, who seek a bit of a mole-like stout, but still tasty enough for what it actually is.

From a bottle, pours jet black with a wispy and bubbly off white head.

The smell is mostly coffee, bitter dark chocolate, green peppers and roast. The green peppers gives a vegetal indication that doesn't necessarily fit. The flavor is cocoa, green peppers, dry chocolate powder. Overall, this is good, but the ingredients aren't complementing each other, but rather fighting for attention.

22 oz bottle poured into Two Brothers tulip glass. Appearance is dark and opaque with cocoa colored head which dissipates quickly and leaves decent lacing. The nose is intensely roasts with heavy cocoa character and some ancho chili adding a savory component at the end. The taste is chocolatey up front followed by a bit of a metallic taste which I presume is from the influence of the peppers. There is a mild heat at the very back that builds ever so gradually. Mouthfeel is moderate to heavy with medium carbonation. Overall, this isn't the best chocolate/pepper beer that I've tasted as it lacks that marriage between the two components. It is however a tasty product nonetheless and worth a try.

Appearance: Pours a dense black with a nice layer of mocha colored head…really straight forward looking stout…head does thin a bit after a few minutes…(3.75/5)

Smell: Very similar aroma to their Northwinds Imperial Stout…milk chocolate, roasted malts, sweetness (raisin, fig), creaminess and toffee…no surprise, this is very malt driven with subtle hops presence and a touch of alcohol heat…there’s also a warming spiciness to it…it’s nice, but I feel like it could be more and is too reminiscent of Northwinds for me (which is one of my favorite brews right now)…roasted coffee bitterness comes out more as it warms…(3.8/5)

Taste: Roasted malts galore…there is a noticeable smokiness in the initial flavor bringing a more “Imperial” taste…while the beer is on the palate, there is really only a rich, roasted malt taste that dominates leaving most of the flavor to come in the after taste…milk chocolate, some slight coffee bitterness (very mild) and creaminess all hit the palate after I swallow…a good amount of warming spices also come out bringing that expected spiciness that really adds a bit of kick to the robustness brought by all those roasted malts…solid…(4.25/5)

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body, it feels light for the color and style…carbonation is light to medium fluffs up bringing roasted malt and warming spices to the palate…wet, rich and mildly smooth, this brew hits the palate and works well through the after taste…overall though, it feels a bit light…(3.75/5)

Overall: This is a solid brew, full of flavor and vigor and life…it seems like Two Brothers may have added a few ingredients to their already successful Northwinds Imperial Stout and re-released it as a Off the Cuff …this new formula comes closer to a more robust RIS, though the mouthfeel is still a bit watery to be considered exemplary…as it stands, this is a solid brew with great flavor and an easy drinkability that makes it perfect for sitting on the couch with a good book or say that new episode of Parks and Rec…easy to recommend, pick one of these up at your nearest craft beer store and enjoy! (4/5)